Published: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 09:57 AM.

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GASTONIA – Old school football coaches have frequently used the politically incorrect phrase that their players “played like girls” whenever they play poorly.

Clearly, none of those coaches have seen Southwest Middle School two-way starter Alexis Murriel.

An eighth-grader who is the biggest minority in Gaston County sports as the only female football player in the county, Murriel is a standout performer on a championship team that begins its pursuit of a county title on Wednesday.

“I’m not trying to make any sort of statement or anything,” said Murriel, who also is a standout for the Roadrunners’ women’s basketball and track teams. “I just like playing football.”

Murriel has done more than just play football. She’s helped Southwest to an unbeaten 6-0 record and the favorite’s role entering the playoffs.

GASTONIA – Old school football coaches have frequently used the politically incorrect phrase that their players “played like girls” whenever they play poorly.

Clearly, none of those coaches have seen Southwest Middle School two-way starter Alexis Murriel.

An eighth-grader who is the biggest minority in Gaston County sports as the only female football player in the county, Murriel is a standout performer on a championship team that begins its pursuit of a county title on Wednesday.

“I’m not trying to make any sort of statement or anything,” said Murriel, who also is a standout for the Roadrunners’ women’s basketball and track teams. “I just like playing football.”

Murriel has done more than just play football. She’s helped Southwest to an unbeaten 6-0 record and the favorite’s role entering the playoffs.

Wednesday’s winners meet Oct. 30 for the county championship game at a site and time to be determined.

Also on Wednesday, there are three consolation games – York Chester at Holbrook at 4:15 p.m. for third place, Mount Holly at Stanley at 4:15 p.m. for fourth place and Cramerton against Belmont at 6 p.m. at South Point High’s Lineberger Stadium for sixth place.

Southwest coach Bryce Powell had heard about Murriel’s exploits for the Union Road Jaguars Pop Warner program before she came out for his team this season.

“It was a matter on whether or not she would come out and play for us,” said Powell, a seventh-year coach whose 42-7 record makes him the winningest coach in school history. “I had heard about how well she did for Union Road and I knew she was athletic from watching basketball last year. But I didn’t know how she would react to being hit or anything like that.”

Murriel feels that her unique status as a girl has made her a bit of a target. That’s even as her success this season – she’s scored one touchdown and caught a two-point conversion pass – has gained the respect of most of her rivals.

“Most of the time, they (opponents) are like, ‘Good job, Miss,’ or ‘Good job, Lady’ and they’re complimentary,” Murriel said. “But some have gotten jealous and said, ‘I’ll get you next time and try to hurt me.’ I don’t worry about all that: I just want to go out there and play.”

Powell said that while he had to create different locker room facilities for Murriel, he’s tried to coach her like he would coach any of the other talented players on his championship team.

“I don’t really think it’s different, other than it gives the guys a chance to learn better manners,” Powell said. “We certainly don’t make anything easier for her compared to the others.

“Honestly, some of the other teams have said something about what she’s doing but some of them don’t even know she’s a girl. Now, I did hear a dad in the background of one of our films saying, ‘That’s a girl that made that play’ and he sounded all surprised. Actually, on the team, we’re used to seeing her make plays because she has done that all year long.”

Murriel said convincing her family she was truly interested in football when she was in elementary school was her biggest challenge to getting to play the sport.

Her older brother, Chase Wright, let her play backyard football when she was younger and her first action was Optimist Club football at Hunter Huss High before she joined the Union Road Pop Warner program.

“When I first played, I think my dad thought I’d get hit and not want to play anymore,” Murriel said. “But I got hit and did just as well as the boys and he said, ‘I guess you do want to play football.’ I said, ‘I've been telling you that all these years.’”

Since she’s been so successful in basketball and track, Murriel says this will be her final season of football.

“Football is definitely my favorite sport, but I think my best future is in basketball,” said Murriel, who said she plans to attend Ashbrook High next year. “I’m definitely doing basketball and track this year and in high school.”

“I don’t know if she’ll be able to keep playing football long-term just because of size,” Powell said of Murriel. “She’s taken some hard hits lately that may have shaken her up. But she hasn’t made anything of it and just kept on playing. I just think her future is probably in basketball because she’s got a lot of skills in that. She should be our best player again this year.”

You can reach Richard Walker at 704-869-1841 or by twitter.com/JRWalk22